Half to august j



(No Model.)

0.;J. FELL. UMBRELLA RUNNER.

No. 486,209. Patented Nov. 15, 1892.

Ccf 1 621.

155' hi) eAflrgzys {NE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOYO-LITHQ, wnsmuawm n. o.

UNITED STATES PATENT I'OFFICE.

CHARLES J. FELL, OF WILKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOAUGUST J. SCHULER, OF SAME PLACE.

UMBRELLA-RUNNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,209, dated November15, 1892.

Application filed November 27, 1891. Serial No. 413,292. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES J. FELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Wilkes- Barr, in the county of Luzerne and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Umbrella-Runner, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relatesto umbrellas and parasols, and more especially tothat portion thereof known as the runner; and the object of the same isto produce certain improvements in the devices for lockingthe runnerautomatically to the stick when the umbrella is either opened or closed.

To this end the invention consists in a runner each of whose ends isprovided with an oblique slot terminating in an acute-angled extension,the runnerbeing journaled through the rib-ring and the latter havingtongues engaging recesses in the runner for limiting its oscillatorymovement. This construction is more fully described below, specificallypointed out in the claim, and illustrated on the accompanying sheet ofdrawings, wherein-- Figure 1 represents an umbrella-stick provided withmy improved runner, showing the latter as just about to move intoengagement with the upper pin. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of therunner engaged with the lower pin and mounted on a small piece of thestick, the ring being omitted. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section ofthe two members of the runner and the ring, all slightly separated- Inumbrellas now on the market the sleeve or runner which supports the ringwherein the stretchers are pivoted is usually slotted longitudinally,and the stick is also slotted longitudinally at proper points, wiresprings being seated in the slots in the stick and facing upward nearthe upper and downward near the lower ends of the stick. When the runneris moved, its slot is supposed to pass over these springs, the latterbeing depressed until the slots in the runner and stick register, whenthe spring will fly out and lock the runner in place; but the well-knownobjections exist that the slot in the runner does not always registerwith that in the stick, owing to the slight twisting motion which therunner may have if the stretchers are not tightly pivoted in the ring,and also that the springs sometimes become displaced from the slots andthe latter always weaken the stick considerably, especially if it be ofa wood having a tendency to split longitudinally. In order to overcomethese objections, runners have heretofore been made which were journaledso as to turn axially within the rings, the ends of each runner beingprovided with a bayonetslot, and pins were seated in the stick at properpoints. When the runner was moved to either extremity of its movement,the mouth of the bayonet-slot was guided or directed astride the pin andthen the runner was turned manually to move the pin into the offset ofthe slot. The present invention contemplates the use of a device of thissame approximate construction, with the exception, however, that insteadof a bayonet-slot I use an oblique slot and instead of an offset to theslot which stands at right angles to the axis of the run ner I use anacute-angled extension or offset and rounded on its inner face, theresulting advantage being that the pin is automatically thrown into thisoffset by the turning of the runner as it is pushed.

My device also possesses certain specific details which are describedbelow. Referring to the said drawings, 1 is the stick.

2 are the ribs. Y

3 are the stretchers, and 4 is the ring to which the stretchers arepivoted in the usual manner.

The runner is made in two members or sleeves. 10 is the upper member,having a central bore of a size to slide on the stick and having itsupper end enlarged, as at 11, so as to form ashoulder 12, up againstwhich the ring is drawn by the stretchers. 13 is the lower member,having an internal bore of a size to fit closely over the reduced bodyof the upper member and milled or roughened, as at 14, on its exterior.This member is passed over the upper member and soldered, brazed, orotherwise secured thereon, and the length of the lower member is suchthat when the lower ends of the two members are flush the upper end ofthe lower member will come up against the lower face of the ring and thelatter will therefore be nicely journaled on the runner. In the ends ofthe runner are formed oblique slots inclining in opposite directions toeach other, and each slot comprises a mouth 20, an inclined body 21, arounded inner end 22, and an acute-angled offset or extension 23, whoseextremity 24 projeots toward the end of the runner.

In the stick at proper points are located the upper and lower pins 25and 26, the pins being of a size to fit loosely in the bodies 21 of theslots. From the ring tongues 27, projecting downwardly, engage recesses28 at opposite sides of the upper end of the lower member 13, and thusthe runner is limited in its axial movement or oscillation within thering.

The months 20 of the slots in the ends of the runner are in alignmentwith each other along the stick, and when between the pins are inalignment with the said pins. The said pins are also placed in alignmentwith each other on the stick and the lower part of the interior tube isslotted to conform to the slot in the outer tube.

In use when it is desired to raise this umbrella the stick is held inone hand,while the other hand grasps the milled portion 14 of thesleeve. The latter is drawn slightly down and then turned to the right,and this movement causes the inclined body 21 of the slot to travelupward on the lower pin 26 until the pin passes out the mouth 20 of theslot and disengages the runner. At this time the tongues 27 stand at theleft ends of the recesses 28 and prevent the runner being turned anyfarther. The runner is then moved up on the stick, carrying the ring andthe stretchers with it, and when the upper pin 25 is reached the mouth20 of the upper slot will be exactly in proper position to pass over thepin, and a continued upward movement of the runner will move the body 21of this slot astride the pin and turn the entire runner in the hand, thepin passing to the bottom of the slot around the rounded inner end 22thereof and into the oflset 23, as will be clear. A reversal of theoperation lowers the umbrella and looks it folded. Thus it will be seenthat the usual movements of the runner cause it to automatically engagethe pins by reason of the incline of the slot-bodies, and the roundedinner ends of the slots cause them under the force of their longitudinalmovements to automatically pass their ofisets onto the pin. When soengaged, no accidental blow or jar can disengage the pin laterally,since the pin is held in the extremity of the offset which projectstoward the adjacent end of the runner. Each of such ends is preferablybeveled interiorly, so that it will not scratch the stick, and thelatter is of course only very slightly weakened by the insertion of thetwo pins. The size, shape, and proportion of the parts are matters of nomoment with respect to the invention itself.

The slots 20 in the opposite ends of the run- I ner, as has already beenset forth, extend in site portions of the stick to entirely enter thesaid recesses in such manner that the tendency for the runner to springback from its locking position will cause the said pin to be directedbehind the shoulder 23 in either position-viz., when the runner israised or lowered to engage the upper or the lower stud.

What is claimed as new is An umbrella-stick having pins thereon on theupper and lower portions thereof in alignment with each other, combinedwith a runner comprising an upper member having a central bore of a sizeto slide on the stick and its upper end increased in thickness to form ashoulder 12, against which the ring is drawn by the stretchers, a lowermember 13, having an internal bore of a size to fit closely over thereduced body of the upper member and milled or roughened on itsexterior, the said lower member being secured upon the lower portion ofthe upper member in such manner as to form a space between the upper endof the lower member and the shoulder 1201? the upper member and both ofsaid members at opposite ends of the same being formed with obliqueslots extending in reverse diagonal directions to each other, said slotsterminatin g in locking-recesses 23, which are in vertical alignmentwith each other and provided with a limiting shoulder or corner 23*,beyond which the longest inclined wall of each of said slots extends,thereby causing the pin engaging said slots at either end to beremovably locked behind said shoulders or corners, and a stretcher-ring4, journaled on the runner-tube between the upper end of the lowermember and the shoulder of the upper member and having tongues 27projecting downwardly to engage recesses 28, situated at opposite sidesof the upper end of said lower member, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto ailixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES J. FELL.

Witnesses:

WM. J. TREMBATH, RoBT. H. M CKUNE.

